Contempary Management

In today's global economy it is imperative for businesses to take a closer look at levels of management and the training given to managers at all levels of the company. We have seen many industry giants who have fail to make profits for lack of leaders who are unable or unwilling to come up with creative ways of either expanding or generating profits for the company. On the other hand, we have seen that a lack of management can lead to potential dangers. The Oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico by BP serves as an example of the potential dangers of having management making decisions based solely on personal gain instead of safety of the environment. (Shankelman, 2011)

There are four levels of management and each with its own unique set of responsibilities. (Jones & George, 2006, pg 12-13). The Top Managers for example have more of a responsibility in the area of planning than do the first line managers, whose biggest responsibility is in the area of leading and controlling. In addition to levels of management, there is also a need for managers to have certain skills in order for them to either lead or just make decisions concerning the optimal use of resources and or technical skills in their professions. Managers must be able to communicate clearly the goals of the company and incorporate that into clear and concise language that all employees can understand and strive to achieve the goals of the organization.

Many theorists focus on different aspects of management. F. W. Taylor focuses on people and task, while Max Weber a German professor focused his studies on a system to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. (Jones & George, 2006, pg 11, 12). All good ideas with one common goal and that goal is to make businesses operate in such a manner that people, resources and the ability to make profits are all considered when making businesses decisions.